Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manama and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,517 in Manama versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,437 in Manama versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,358 in Manama versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Manama is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manama is 14% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 BHD 2.57

$4.48 ฿150

52.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 BHD 20.23

$45.59 ฿1,521

17.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 BHD 2.86

$8.76 ฿292

-13.36%

Cappuccino

$5.49 BHD 2.07

$2.97 ฿99.0

84.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 BHD 0.32

$0.69 ฿22.90

24.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 BHD 0.14

$0.39 ฿13.04

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 BHD 2.97

$2.53 ฿84.4

211.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.74 BHD 4.05

$3.75 ฿125

186.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 BHD 0.64

$2.15 ฿71.6

-21.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.82 ฿60.6

-25.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 BHD 0.90

$2.18 ฿72.9

9.17%

Eggs

$2.48 BHD 0.94

$2.25 ฿75.0

10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 BHD 3.35

$20.00 ฿667

-55.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 BHD 2.93

$3.63 ฿121

114.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 BHD 3.89

$13.56 ฿452

-23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 BHD 0.88

$3.24 ฿108

-28.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 BHD 0.79

$1.64 ฿54.6

27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 BHD 0.64

$2.33 ฿77.8

-27.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 BHD 0.46

$2.07 ฿69.1

-41.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 BHD 0.33

$1.55 ฿51.6

-43.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 BHD 0.40

$1.46 ฿48.54

-26.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 BHD 0.55

$0.98 ฿32.86

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BHD 0.35

$0.48 ฿16.09

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 BHD 2.46

$4.35 ฿145

50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.26 BHD 6.88

$18.57 ฿620

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 BHD 1.27

$1.86 ฿61.9

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 BHD 1.25

$2.65 ฿88.6

25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$1.42 ฿47.28

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.08 BHD 12.09

$11.57 ฿386

177.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 BHD 1.79

$3.17 ฿106

49.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 BHD 1.46

$1.03 ฿34.41

276.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.03 BHD 9.81

$13.89 ฿463

87.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 BHD 0.20

$1.34 ฿44.84

-61.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K BHD 14.0K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

33.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.1K BHD 7,954

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-36.78%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$124 BHD 46.60

$123 ฿4,105

0.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.75 BHD 10.08

$13.77 ฿459

94.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.92 BHD 14.29

$18.33 ฿611

106.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.1 BHD 27.17

$60.7 ฿2,025

18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.09 BHD 16.62

$17.16 ฿573

156.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 BHD 4.07

$8.87 ฿296

21.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$384 BHD 145

$688 ฿22.9K

-44.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,117 BHD 3,436

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-42.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.92 BHD 17.68

$59.3 ฿1,978

-20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 BHD 23.45

$34.69 ฿1,157

79.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 BHD 31.43

$115 ฿3,843

-27.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 BHD 33.83

$83.8 ฿2,794

7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 BHD 310

$621 ฿20.7K

32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 BHD 214

$446 ฿14.9K

27.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 BHD 669

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 BHD 463

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,642 BHD 996

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-23.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 BHD 738

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-22.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,309 BHD 870

$494 ฿16.5K

367.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.56

5.33

60.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Manama: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $822 in Manama and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manama pays 368% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Manama vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $291, with Manama cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Manama vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Manama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 368% higher in Manama, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $822 in Manama versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 177% less than in Manama. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $384 in Manama versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,517 in Manama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manama. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Manama and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Manama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.